Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - 662

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - 662 - Alligator Records

Only 22, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram already made a mark with his debut album "Kingfish." He has been playing before people most of his life. "About that prior album, I observed that Kingfish was a terrific guitarist with a heavy blues-rock pull out all the stops on most of the electric tracks on this. I really don't enjoy his guitar fireworks as much as I do his singing. He is an outstanding vocalist with plenty of warmth and expressiveness with an unforced delivery." 

Like the prior album, Tom Hambridge produced this and plays drums on the album. Others in the studio on various selections include guitarists Kenny Greenberg and Bob Britt: bassists Glenn Worf and Tommy MacDonald, and keyboardist Marty Sammon. Max Abrams on sax and Julio Diaz on trumpet are heard on one song. One selection has "Kingfish" backed by Nick Goldston on Drums, Bass, Piano, Keyboard, and Acoustic Guitar with backing vocals from Brooke Stephenson. Most of the songs are by Kingfish with Hambridge and Richard Fleming.

There is a celebration of his North Mississippi roots on the title track that opens this recording with a searing guitar rockin' blues solo as celebrates the Mississippi Delta 'the birthplace of this he blues. Another song, "Not Gotta Lie," is a biographical snippet of his brief musical life as against a heavy funk groove with a blazing blues-rock solo before testifying blues is where he comes from and is his history. Then he celebrates Mississippi juke joints, "Too Young To Remember," where he sings about having heard about juke joints where whiskey used to flow. Kingfish may be too young to remember but old enough to know. There is more funk and searing blues-rock guitar on this track. Another bit of musical autobiography is "Something in the Dirt," where there is magic in the music, but must be something in the dirt as he sings about playing his first gig at Red's when he was 11.

Against a rock groove, he sings about life on the road as on "Long Distance Woman," the one who wakes him on the phone and accuses him of doing wrong. This listener prefers the Memphis soul-blues "That's All It Takes," with riffing horns and a more laid-back backing behind his outstanding singing and straight blues picking. Another song about a relationship breaking is "You've Already Gone," with an almost jazzy guitar attack. "I Got to See" sounds like a Robert Cray song with sterling rock and roll guitar and superb singing. He pulls all the stops on guitar on a terrific slow blues, "Your Time Is Gonna Come."

Also stunning are his observations on "Another Life Goes Back," where he wonders where hate comes from and how can we stop the madness. Kingfish's guitar playing evokes Albert King on this track. A bonus track, "Rock and Roll," is a tender song devoted to his late mother, backed by Nick Goldston, who provides the evocative backing. 

Even if some of the blues-rock trappings may not be to my taste, Christone' Kingfish' Ingram plays superbly throughout, whether rocking out or channeling Albert King. And he is one of the best young singers in the blues world today. If he did not play guitar, he still would have great appeal. With the outstanding "662," Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram further establishes himself as an impressive new blues voice.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. The song, "662," is currently available as a single. The full album will be available on July 23. Here is "662.